Page 2 of Love Rewritten

He laughs and tips his head in my direction, those brown eyes meeting mine. “Well, it seems a little stupid now, but uh …” he trails off.

“Tell me. It’s not stupid.” I lean forward and rest my chin on my hand, forcing myself to stifle a groan from the pain in my ribs.

He takes a deep breath before continuing. “My ex-girlfriend, I had been dating her for a year when I caught her cheating on me.”

“I’m so sorry.” The corner of his mouth twitches but he leans forward and runs his hands down his face.

“My brother. She cheated on me with my brother, Cole.”

“Shit,” I blurt and then scrunch up my nose.

“Shit is right. It was all the same night. The cheating, and then his death. I left the party the second I found them together.” He rubs his jaw, and the stubble from not shaving for a few days is evident on his face.

I don’t know what to say at this point. What do you say to someone who feels like they lost everyone in one night? There are no words to make this better. It just is. And I hate that saying.It is what it is.What a joke. Instead, I shift toward him and lean my head on his shoulder in a gesture I hope he takes asI’m not going anywhere.

The moment passes while I’m sure both of our minds run wild. But Dallas is the first to speak. “So, relationship, huh?”

“If you want it to be,” I say, hoping he responds with an enthusiastic yes.

He sits up, forcing me to sit up, too. He looks at me curiously. “Do you want it to be?” I nod so fast I feel the bun on top of my head bounce with the movement. A bright smile covers his face. He turns to face me fully and takes both my hands in his. “Well, I suppose there’s only one option here.” He straightens and clears his throat like he’s about to give some big speech. “Abigail Cooper, will you be my girlfriend?”

I giggle, but I can’t help how giddy I feel inside. “Okay, cheesy, but I accept.”

He obnoxiously peppers my face with kisses before placing a much more intense kiss on my lips. The only reason it ends is because my damn ribs won’t cooperate with the movement.

I wince and Dallas pulls away quickly, a hand on either arm. “Sorry, you okay?”

“I’ll be better once this bruising subsides a bit. I don’t know how much longer I can survive on just kisses.”

He presses his lips into the firm line. “Mmm, you see … the flirting makes it really difficult to not go in for more.”

I lean a little closer. “I suppose you’re going to have to wait.”

“I’llalwayswait for you.”

I’m a puddle. A complete and utter puddle. His words melt into every corner of my body, sending warmth through me that I haven’t felt in days. “Give me another kiss before I need to rest again.”

He smiles, places a delicate kiss on my lips, and then we settle together into the soft cushions of the couch to watch another movie, the only thing I have the energy for lately.

“We’re heading to the gym and then we have practice after. Will you be okay here with Rose?” Dallas asks.

Dallas’s sister, Rose, and I sit on opposite ends of the couch halfway through a random comedy movie. Her pastel pink pixie cut looks freshly cut and dyed within the last day or two with a slight pinkish hue following her hairline. We smile at Logan and Dallas as they put their shoes on. “I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. I just want you to be comfortable. Your meds are on the counter. If you need help with anything, just ask Rose. You can also call me—”

“Dal,” I say, cutting him off. Even Logan looks impatient as he runs a hand through his short black hair.

Dallas takes a deep breath. “Sorry.”

“I’ll be fine,” I repeat. “Go.”

“Okay.” And with that, they leave.

We settle into the couch to finish the movie. I’ve grown to like Rose. She doesn’t ask too many questions and isn’t pushy with the ones she does. It’s welcoming to have someone other than Dallas and Meredith to talk to.

Or not talk to.

I haven’t reached out to Meredith since she called the cops on Sam at the baseball field. At the time, I was furious. Now, I understand why she did it. I’m still frustrated, but I’m madder at myself for letting it get to the point it did before I truly grasped the extent of the situation I was, and still am in.

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